Aaron Rodgers ‘Open to everything.’ Why you should ignore anything he says about his Jets future

It seems like Aaron Rodgers is trying awfully hard to get the Jets to keep him in 2025.

On Wednesday alone, Rodgers said he’s open to taking another pay cut, and open to mentoring a young quarterback if the Jets pick one in this year’s draft, and even willing to sit behind that quarterback if he beats Rodgers out for the drive.

Last month, Rodgers said that playing for a new coach and in a new offense would not be a dealbreaker.

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Seriously, it’s like he’s trying to get them to ask him to prom or something. Like him or not, we can all acknowledge that Rodgers doesn’t usually come right out and say exactly what he’s thinking. He typically prefers to paint a bit of a path (one might call it a red line) for everyone to follow toward his way of thinking.

So what is the deal with Rodgers so clearly throwing himself at the Jets?

Well, first of all, Rodgers is in a rare and weird situation where literally nothing he says about his future matters at all. The people who will decide his future and the best way forward for the Jets aren’t even in the building yet – the Jets likely won’t have a new GM and coach in place until mid-January at the earliest. And whoever the Jets hire isn’t going to judge Rodgers’ intentions based on something he said to a group of reporters or an overcaffeinated podcast host in November or December of a lost season. They’re going to talk to him directly, and to steal a term from the man himself, do “their own research.”

But the more important term to keep in mind here is the one Rodgers on his shirt Tuesday during his weekly (paid) appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”

OPEN TO EVERYTHING

You cannot take too seriously what Rodgers is saying right now because if someone asked him a hypothetical about playing linebacker for the Jets in 2025, there’s a good chance he leaves the door open to it.

But it also speaks to the unique place Rodgers is at in his career right now. When he says things about being open to a pay cut, or being a QB mentor/bridge quarterback, or adapting to a new offense or coaching staff, he’s not just talking to or about the Jets, he’s firing a starting gun for the rest of the league to let them know that he’s willing to help your team.

Of course, how many teams are interested in what Rodgers is bringing to the table at this point?

That’s the big question. And Rodgers is still holding out hope he’ll have enough options to make a choice himself, as he made clear when talking about his plans for the offseason Wednesday.

And just like the Jets will make the best choice for the Jets when the time comes, Rodgers will make whatever choice is best for Rodgers. And nothing Rodgers says today or any day between now and the end of the season, will mean a thing if he wakes up in February and decides he wants all his money or that the beach sounds a whole lot better than being a potential bridge quarterback.